Target-trap



v (No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. P. BRETT.

TARGET TRAP.

No. 434,078. Patented Aug. 12,1890.

INVENTOR 9. @eaaw; 1m 8, a

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

w. P. BRETT. TARGET TRAP.

No. 434,078. Patented Aug. 12, 1890.

' NVENTOR.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM P. BRETT, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

TARG ET-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,078, dated August 12, 1890.

Application filed December 10, 1886. Renewed February 5, 1890. Serial No. 339,221. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM P. BRETT, of the city of Decatur, county of Macon, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Target-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan of the trap with a target in position to be thrown. Fig. 2 is a plan of the trap, showing the relative posit-ion of the parts after the target has been thrown. Fig. 3 is a detail drawing of a face of a bifurcated clamp that is used in a manner hereinafter set forth for the purpose of afiording horizontal adjustment of the trap. Fig. 4 is a side view of the trap. Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan of the target-clamp. Fig. 6 is an enlarged side view of the targetclamp, and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the trap-pedestal.

The target-throwing arm 1 pivots on bolt 39, has a bifurcated extension 10 beyond the pivot, is laterally deflected at 41, and has a boss 38, on which the target-clamp pivots. The target-clamp comprises the base-plate 3, having guide-lugs 4, curved continuation 9, connecting the base-plate with the clampplate, elastic strips 6, connecting the jaw 5 with the body of the clamp-plate, post 31, extending from the arm entirely through the clamp, cam 7, rigidly secured to the post, and through the post to the arm in approximately the position shown, and embossment 8, centrally located on the upper surface of the clamp-plate.

The pivot 39 of the target-throwing arm is passed through a boss in frame 14. A casing affords a bearing for an approximately vertical trigger 16, which extends both above and below said casing. Acord 34, passing through a hole in guide-extension 33, provides means for throwing the trigger, and a spring 32 holds said trigger commonly in the position shown in Fig. 4. A bolt 40 passes through bifurcated extension 10. Rod 11 connects with bolt 40 in the bifurcation of the extension and passes consecutively through head 12, collar 230, spring 13, and set-nut 18. The head 12 is rigid with frame 14, and is provided with a vertically grooved or depressed face opposed to the collar, the said groove being either in the form of a shallow concavity or an obtuse internal angle. The collar has a V-shaped face in contact with the groove of the head. The spring 13, which exerts elasticity against compression, presses against the collar and has its tension regulated through set-nut 18. An angle-plate 19 connects the frame 14 with the standard in a manner permitting universal angular adjustment in the frame. The

standard terminates in an annular band 22,

(see Fig. 3,) in which 27 indicates the face and 28 the groove therein. A short vertical shaft 21 extends through the clamp-band 22, and with tripod20 forms a base or pedestal for the trap. Each foot of the tripod is provided with a vertical hole and eyebolts 36.

WVhen the trap is set, the arm is approximately parallel with the rod 11, and .the connection of said rod with the extension 10 is beyond and nearly in line with pivot 39, so that when the trigger is thrown the arm starts slowly, giving time to overcome the inertia of the target, which, being frangible, would be damaged by a sudden start. The embossment 8 being centrally located causes all parts of the surface of the clampingjaw to press equally on the target. The elastic strips 6 neutralize extremes of pressure on the target and so lessen liability of breakage.

The trigger has areleasing motion parallel to the length of the arm, and so permits the arm to swing in aperfect plane and discharge the target without fluctuation or wabble.

To adjust the position of the trap horizontally, the handle 17 is held by the left hand, the clamp-handle 25 is raised until the groove coincides with the rib of the .flange, the trap is shifted by means of handle 25 alone, or handles 25 and 17 together, and handle 25 is again depressed until the groove and rib are out of incidence, so clamping the standard firmly on the pedestal, pass through said holes and secure the feet to a suitable foundation. (Not shown.) A handle 17 extends from the rear of casing 15. A catch 2 is formed on a side of the target-throwing arm. A target is represented at 29 in Fig. 1. The cam 7 is held against a shoulder of the post 31 by means of a set-nut on the upper end of the post.

To set the trap, handle 17 is grasped by theleft hand and the arm 1 carried around by the right hand until its catch engages thetrigger. Atarget is then placed in the targetclamp, With its rim resting in guide-lugs 4 anda peripheral ridge lying under clamp-jaw 5, and the clamp is turned on its pivot to the position shown in Fig. 1, passing the emboss ment 8 under the cam and clamping the jaw against the target.

To throw the trap, the cord is pulled with sufficient force to disengage the trigger from the catch in the arm, when the spring will throw-the arm and cause the clamp to swing open, so releasing the target. The arm in motion describes an approximate semicircle, which causes the rod 11 to vibrate in its bearing in the frame. The radially-expanded conformation of the groove facilitates the operation and increases the power of the baseclamp. The handle of the base-clamp is always in a certain position relative to the trap, and the facility of its operation isincreased thereby.

The cam 7 is rigid with the post while in operation, but by loosening the set-nut that maintains its rigidity, and which is shown immediately above it in the drawings, radial adjustment may be effected and the clamp be permitted to discharge the target when at any desired angle with the arm.

The target-throwing arm is in the form of an angle-iron, and consequently combines lightness that enables it to be readily started and stopped with stiffness that enables the target to be thrown with a steady motion.

I claim-- 1. A target-trap consisting in the combination of the curved target-throwing arm having the lateral catch and the bifurcated extension, a spring to operate the arm connected with said arm in the bifurcation of the extension, and a trigger in position to engage the catch of the arm and having a releasing motion in a direction parallel to the length of the arm.

2. A target-trap consisting in the combina tion of the target-throwing arm pivoted on the frame and having the lateral catch and bifurcated extension, the rod passing through a head on the frame and pivotally connecting with the arm in the bifurcation of the extentension, the collar on the rod in contact with the head on the frame, the spring on the rod, the adj usting-nut, and a trigger in position to engage the catch of the arm and having a releasing motion in a direction parallel to the length of the arm. 7

3. A target-trap consisting in the combination of the target-throwing arm pivoted on the frame and having a lateral catch and bifurcated extension, the rod passing through a head on the frame and pivotally connecting with the bolt in the bifurcated extension, the collar on the rod having the V-shaped bearing against the depressed face of the head, the spring on the rod bearing against the collar, the adjusting-nut for the spring, and a trigger in position to engage the catch of the arm and having a releasing motion in a direction parallel with the length of the arm.

4. A target-trap consisting in the combination of the frame having radial adjustment on a standard, the target-throwing arm pivoted on the frame and having the lateral catch, the rod passing through the head on the frame and pivotally connected with the rear end of the arm, the collar, the spring, the adjusting -nut, and the approximately vertical trigger pivoted in the frame in a position to engage the catch of the arm and having a releasing motion in a direction parallel to the length of the arm.

5. A target-trap consistingin the combination of the frame, the trigger-casing, and the handle of the frame, all having radial adj ustment on a standard, the target-throwing arm pivoted on the frame and having the lateral catch, the arm-operating mechanism comprising the rod passing through the head and pivotally connected with the rear end of the arm, the collar, the spring, and the nut, the approximately vertical trigger pivoted in the casing in a position to engage the catch of the arm and having a releasing motion in a direction parallel to the length of the arm, andthe spring to return the trigger after the arm has been released.

6. The frame comprising the radially-adjustable bar, the head, the trigger-casing, the handle, and the cord-guide, and the throwing mechanism comprising the arm, with its catch, the rod, the collar, the spring, the nut, and the trigger in position to engage the catch of the arm and having a releasing motion in a direction parallel to the length of the arm, all in combination.

7. The standard, the frame comprising the bar, the head, the trigger-casing, the handle, and the cord-guide, the angle-plate connecting the frame with the standard, and the throwing mechanism comprising the arm, with the catch, the rod, the collar, the spring, the nut, and the approximately vertical trigger, all in combination.

8. The pedestal having the vertical shaft, the cleft standard on the shaft of the pedestal, the clamp for compressing the cleft standard on the pedestal-shaft, the frame comprising the bar, the head, the trigger-casing, the handle, and the cord-guide, the angle-plate connecting the frame with the standard, and the throwing mechanism comprising the arm, with the catch, the rod, the collar, the spring, the nut, and the approximately vertical trigger, all in combination.

9. In target-traps, in combination, the pedestal having the vertical shaft, the standard having the annular cleft band encircling the shaft, the flanges on the band on opposite sides of the cleft, the rib on a flange, the bolt passing through the flanges, and the bifurcated clamp pivoted on the bolt and having a groove in the face opposed to the ribbed flange, as and for the purpose set forth.

10. A clamp for target-traps, comprising a base-plate, an upper clamping-plate elastically connected with the base-plate and having a centrally-located embossment 011 its upper surface, a post rigidly secured to the throwing arm and extending upwardly through the clamp, and a cam on the post above the clamp, as and for the purpose set forth.

11. A clamp for target-traps, comprising a base-plate, an upper clamping-plate integral with the lower plate, a centrally-located embossment 011 the upper surface of the upper plate, a post rigidly secured to the throwingarm and extending upwardly through the clamp, and a cam secured to the post above the clamp, as and for the purpose set forth.

12. A clamp for target-traps, comprising a base-plate, an upper clamping-plate elastically connected with the base-plate and having elastic strips terminating in a clampingjaw, an embossment centrally located on the upper surface of the upper plate, a post rigidly secured to the throwing-arm and extending through the clamp, and a cam secured to the post above the clamp, as and for the purpose set forth.

13. A clamp for target-traps, comprising a base-plate having guide-lugs, an upper clamping-plate elastically connected With the baseplate and having an embossment centrally located on its upper surface, a post rigidly secured to the arm and extending upwardly through the clamp, and a cam on the post above the clamp, as and for the purpose set forth.

14. In target-traps, in combination, a target-throwing arm, a trigger for the arm, a stationary head on the frame, a rod pivotally connected with an extension of the arm and having free motion longitudinally and oscillatory in the head, and a spring on the rod bearing against the head on the side opposed to the connection of the rod With the arm.

15. In target-traps, in combination, a target-throwing arm, a trigger for the arm, a stationary head having a depressed face, a rod pivotally connected With an extension of the arm and having free motion longitudinally in the head, a collar on the rod having a V-shaped bearing in contact with the depression of the head, and a spring on the rod bearing against the collar.

WVILLIAM P. BRETT.

Attest:

I. D. WALKER, L. P. GRAHAM. 

